Korean fried chicken is known for its shatteringly crisp crust, which stays crunchy even when the chicken is glazed in a sticky, savory, mildly spicy sauce. It sounds like restaurant food, but a small batch is easy to make at home. This version is sized for two: 12 ounces of boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces, coated in a cornstarch dredge and batter, fried in a saucepan with a modest amount of oil, and tossed in a garlic and gochujang glaze. It takes about 45 minutes, and every bite is crunchy, juicy and a little sweet and spicy.
Why you’ll like it
- Made for two: a small batch that fries in two rounds in a single saucepan.
- Extra crunchy: a starch dredge and batter fry into a light, craggy crust.
- Sticky glaze: garlic, soy sauce, brown sugar and gochujang cook down into a glossy coating.
- Juicy inside: boneless thighs stay tender and flavorful.
- Easy to adjust: make the glaze spicier or milder with the amount of gochujang.
What is Korean fried chicken?
Korean fried chicken is fried chicken with a very thin, crisp crust, usually made with a starch coating, and often tossed in a sweet and spicy sauce. It is a popular snack, party food and casual dinner in Korea, and many versions are fried twice to make the crust even crunchier.
The sauce is the other half of the dish. A classic glaze is built on gochujang, the Korean fermented red chili paste, with soy sauce, garlic and a sweetener such as brown sugar or honey. Gochujang is savory, a little sweet and moderately spicy, so the glaze tastes rich and complex rather than just hot.
This version borrows the best of several recipes: a cornstarch dredge and batter for a craggy crust, a single fry in batches, and a quick glaze that clings to every piece.
What makes it work
Boneless thighs. Thigh meat stays juicy at high heat and is more forgiving than breast meat. Cutting it into 2-inch pieces gives plenty of crust for every bite and cooks quickly.
A cornstarch dredge and batter. Cornstarch fries up lighter and crisper than flour. Dredging the chicken, dipping it in a thin batter and dredging it once more builds a craggy surface with lots of crunchy edges.
Baking powder. A small amount in the dredge and batter makes the crust airy rather than dense.
Hot, steady oil. At 350°F the crust sets quickly and stays crisp. Frying in two batches keeps the oil from cooling down.
A glaze that clings. A little cornstarch thickens the garlic, soy and gochujang glaze so it coats the chicken without soaking it, and tossing at the last second keeps the crust crunchy.
How it is sized for two
Most Korean fried chicken recipes call for two pounds of chicken or more, plus five cups of oil and a glaze for a crowd. For two people, 12 ounces of thighs is a generous portion, about six ounces each, and the dredge, batter and glaze are scaled to about three-eighths of a large batch.
A 3-quart heavy saucepan works well. Two cups of oil is deep enough to cover the chicken, and the smaller pot means less oil to heat, handle and discard. The chicken fries in two batches of about eight pieces, so the oil stays hot and the pieces do not stick together.
The glaze is made first in a small saucepan and poured into a large bowl, ready for the chicken to be tossed in as soon as it comes out of the oil.
Ingredients for Korean fried chicken
Exact amounts are in the recipe card below. Here is how to choose each one.
- Chicken thighs: boneless and skinless, cut into even 2-inch pieces.
- Cornstarch: used in the dredge, the batter and the glaze. Potato starch also works.
- Baking powder: for a lighter, airier crust.
- Garlic powder, ground ginger, salt and white pepper: the seasoning in the coating. White pepper has a mild, earthy heat. Black pepper can replace it.
- Fresh garlic and ginger: grated into the batter for flavor in the crust.
- Soy sauce and rice vinegar: in the batter and the glaze for savory depth and a little tang.
- Canola oil: or another neutral oil with a high smoke point, for frying.
- Brown sugar and gochujang: the heart of the glaze. Brands of gochujang vary in heat, so start with a little and taste.
- Toasted sesame oil, scallion and sesame seeds: for a nutty, fresh finish.
How to make Korean fried chicken
- Cook the glaze in a small saucepan and pour it into a large bowl.
- Whisk the dredge and the batter in two separate bowls.
- Heat the oil to 350°F in a heavy saucepan.
- Coat the chicken in dredge, then batter, then dredge again.
- Fry the chicken in two batches until golden and cooked through.
- Toss the hot chicken in the glaze and serve right away.
Step-by-step notes
The glaze. Cook the chopped garlic in a little oil over medium-low heat for 2 to 3 minutes, until fragrant and lightly golden, so the garlic flavors the oil. Add the soy sauce, brown sugar and vinegar and bring to a simmer. Stir in the cornstarch and water and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until thickened, then whisk in the gochujang and sesame oil off the heat.
The coating. Whisk the dredge in one bowl and the batter in another. The batter should be smooth and thin enough to drip. If it thickens as you work, whisk in a splash of cold water.
Heating the oil. Heat the oil in the saucepan over medium heat to 350°F. A thermometer is the safest way to check. While the oil heats, coat the chicken: toss it in the dredge, shake off the extra, dip it in the batter, let the excess drip off and press it back into the dredge.
Frying. Lower the pieces into the oil one at a time. Fry half of the chicken, stirring now and then, for 6 to 8 minutes, until deep golden and cooked through, with an internal temperature of 165°F. Lift the chicken to a wire rack and sprinkle it with a little salt, then fry the second batch the same way.
Glazing. While the chicken is still hot, toss it in the glaze until every piece is coated. Garnish with scallion and sesame seeds and serve immediately.
How to keep it crunchy
Glazed fried chicken is at its best the moment it is tossed, so these habits matter.
- Make the glaze first. It should be ready and thick before the chicken is fried.
- Keep the oil at 350°F. Oil that is too cool makes the crust greasy.
- Do not crowd the pot. Two batches keep the oil hot.
- Drain on a wire rack. A rack lets air circulate so the crust does not steam.
- Toss at the last second. The glaze softens the crust as it sits, so serve right away.
- Skip a very large bowl of glaze. A thick, clinging coat is better than a pool of sauce.
Frying safely
Frying at home is easy once you follow a few precautions.
- Use a heavy, deep pot so the oil comes only part of the way up the sides.
- Use a thermometer and keep an eye on the oil, never leaving it unattended.
- Dry the chicken well and lower it in carefully, one piece at a time, away from you.
- Keep a lid nearby. If the oil ever catches fire, cover the pot and turn off the heat, and never use water.
- Let the oil cool completely before you strain or discard it.
Tips and variations
- Make it milder or spicier. Use less gochujang for a mild glaze, or add a little more for heat.
- Use chicken breast. Cut it into similar pieces and watch the time, since it dries out faster than thigh meat.
- Serve the glaze on the side. If you are not eating right away, dip the chicken instead of tossing it.
- Add a pickle. Quick-pickled radish or cucumber cuts through the richness.
- Make it ahead. Fry the chicken, cool it and reheat it later in the oven, then toss it in warm glaze.
What to serve with it
Korean fried chicken is bold and rich, so it likes fresh, cool or starchy partners.
- Steamed white rice to soak up the sticky glaze.
- Pickled radish or cucumber for a crisp, tangy contrast.
- A crunchy slaw or green salad to lighten the plate.
- Steamed broccoli or green beans with a drizzle of sesame oil.
For a different weeknight chicken dinner with a stir-fry sauce, see our simple stir fry for two.
Storage and reheating
Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of cooking. Unglazed fried chicken keeps for about 4 days in an airtight container lined with a paper towel, which absorbs moisture and keeps the crust crisp. Glazed chicken is best eaten within 1 to 2 days.
To reheat, warm the chicken in the oven or an air fryer at 350°F for 8 to 10 minutes, then toss it in warm glaze. Cooked chicken can also be frozen for up to 3 months.
A sticky glaze, a crackling crust and a bowl of rice: a small batch of Korean fried chicken is hard to beat on a night in.
Frequently asked questions
What is in Korean fried chicken sauce?
A classic glaze is made from gochujang, soy sauce, garlic and a sweetener such as brown sugar. This version also has rice vinegar for tang and toasted sesame oil, thickened with a little cornstarch so it clings to the chicken.
How do you make Korean fried chicken with gochujang?
Whisk the gochujang into a cooked glaze of garlic, soy sauce, brown sugar and vinegar off the heat, then toss hot fried chicken in it until every piece is coated.
Can I bake Korean fried chicken instead of frying it?
You can, but the crust will not be as crunchy. Baked or air fried chicken pieces can be tossed in the same glaze for a lighter version.
Why is Korean fried chicken so crispy?
It is coated in a thin starch dredge and batter, which fries into a light, brittle crust, and the chicken is fried in hot oil. Some recipes fry the chicken twice for extra crunch.
Print
Korean Fried Chicken for Two
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings
Description
Korean fried chicken for two: crunchy boneless chicken thigh bites in a sticky garlic and gochujang glaze, fried in a small saucepan.
Ingredients
- 12 ounces boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 2/3 cup cornstarch, divided, plus 1 teaspoon for the glaze
- 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder, divided
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper, divided
- 1 garlic clove, finely grated, plus 4 cloves, finely chopped, for the glaze
- 1/4-inch piece fresh ginger, finely grated
- 1/4 cup cold water, plus 1 teaspoon for the glaze
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce, for the batter, plus 3 tablespoons for the glaze
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar, for the batter, plus 1 1/2 tablespoons for the glaze
- 2 cups canola oil or another neutral oil, for frying, plus 1 teaspoon for the glaze
- 3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons gochujang paste, or more to taste
- 3/4 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 scallion, thinly sliced, and toasted sesame seeds, to garnish
- steamed rice, to serve (optional)
Instructions
- Make the glaze: cook the chopped garlic and the 1 teaspoon of oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat for 2 to 3 minutes, until fragrant and lightly golden. Add the soy sauce, brown sugar and 1 1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar and bring to a simmer. Whisk the 1 teaspoon cornstarch with the 1 teaspoon water, stir it in and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until thickened. Off the heat, whisk in the gochujang and sesame oil, then pour the glaze into a large bowl.
- Make the dredge: whisk 1/3 cup of the cornstarch with the garlic powder, ground ginger, 1/4 teaspoon of the baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and 1/8 teaspoon of the white pepper in a medium bowl.
- Make the batter: in a second bowl, whisk the other 1/3 cup cornstarch, the remaining baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and the remaining white pepper. Stir in the grated garlic, grated ginger, 1/4 cup cold water, 1 teaspoon soy sauce and 1 teaspoon rice vinegar until smooth.
- Heat the 2 cups oil in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over medium heat to 350°F. Meanwhile, toss the chicken in the dredge, shake off the excess, dip it in the batter and let the extra drip off, then press it back into the dredge.
- Fry half of the chicken, stirring now and then, for 6 to 8 minutes, until golden and cooked through at 165°F. Move it to a wire rack, sprinkle with the remaining salt and fry the second batch the same way.
- Toss the hot chicken in the glaze until coated. Top with the scallion and sesame seeds and serve right away, with rice if you like.
Notes
Equipment: 3-quart heavy saucepan, small saucepan, deep-fry or candy thermometer, wire rack, slotted spoon
- Cut the chicken into even 2-inch pieces so they cook at the same pace.
- Keep the oil at 350°F: too cool and the crust turns greasy, too hot and it browns before the chicken cooks.
- Fry in two batches so the oil stays hot and the pieces do not stick together.
- Toss the chicken in the glaze just before serving, since the glaze softens the crust as it sits.
- Add more gochujang for more heat, or less for a milder glaze.
- Doneness: The chicken is done when the crust is deep golden and crisp and a piece cut in half is white all the way through, at 165°F inside; the glaze should be thick enough to cling.
- Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours. Unglazed fried chicken keeps for about 4 days in an airtight container lined with paper towel; glazed chicken is best within 1 to 2 days. Reheat in the oven or air fryer at 350°F for 8 to 10 minutes, then toss in warm glaze; cooked chicken can be frozen for up to 3 months.
- Cook chicken to an internal temperature of 165°F and refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours (USDA FSIS).
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Fried
- Cuisine: Korean
